Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-06
HOW TO READ THE BIBLE
4 LEARNED and Logical Discourse on
The Mast Rational, Necessary AID
Practical Method OF Reading.
Object ana Cpiletersl Eacts-Raudum
Selections Forcibiy ID pre- Gated.

notwithstanding the heat and tie
threatening appearance OF the evening,
large congregation again assembled ST
the Christian church, corner Sixth snd
Throckm0rton streets,to listen to smother
sermon by Rev. Gilbert, whose eIcquence
and eaTnestness permits 10 iaggirg il
the interest manifested in the sermons,
After the customary Introductory ezer-
ci2es OF song and prayer, The reverend
gentleman, taking his text from
| Second Timothy IL, ~, read: "Study TO
show th7self unto Cod 6 workman that
leedat5 not to be ashsmed rightly diyLd-
ing the word of truth" After explaining
the tex and especially the T0rJ "diyid-
irg," the reverend gentleman an-
nouEced that his suSi9C for the evening
woul3 pc, Glow 10 Iesd the Scriptures"
Quoting Alexander Pope, ne said:
"Order is heavens first lsw." and
IL the material universe when ne study
either the book Of nature IS whole or
such subdivisions Gs sre C.SsseG il the
various schools and a7enGes II rosesICl,
order; was necessary ana cXp5dient in
order 10 make progress. Inc .9v OF
OrGere permestes ell researches IN the
sciences, in physical ara metaphy-
steal studies snd in studying
the scriptures the same rule should
obtain. Chance or choice selections were
not advisable, but method, order object,
harmony and arrangement should 9e OBJ
served. In anatomy, for instance, we
must learn the arrangement in order to
fully comprehend the subject, and save
time and labor. Each division has sep
s7a.e hesd under which it is treated
effectively, and while reference is
made 10 other divisions CT the subject,
: they are only necessary inCldentals. The
Bible being the book of God, the same
God who rules over al things else, the
same order is necessary end to be eX.
. peCted in the arrangement Of His sacred
work. The Bible WAS rirst divided into
: twoi great heads, the Old ard New
: Testament. The old Testament being
t the book of the Jews was not SIS applica-
5 Die to the wants of Christians as the new.
When the voice from the clouds COM
D manded US to "hear Him." both Moses
o and Eliza disappeared and we hid Christ
5 Son of God, as Il teacher. The Old Tesla
ment was not TO be thrown asi1e
: but the new one was for the
T Christians. To this latter he wouIC
:. call attention in the present discourse
= How then We're we to read it, IN the
2 same manner in which other books are
i read. We would enquire She author, th(
= object ard the arrangement, 10 facilitate
c study and enable Us to interpret il
u The object Of the Bible vas the ssh
9 walton Of mankind. In order 10 III
!. this Il was necessary to make man first
convert to the belief in the existence 0
CAIist SIS true leader, TO excite desir
in him to enter His service, to teach hin
C how this desire may be accomplished, Il
It lay down rules for mis- government whel
:. once ne becomes a follower, an
O lastly to supply him with mo!iy
h for well-dOing. II the books o
% Matthew, Marx, Luke and John we ned
o history of Christ convincing ua OF Hi
real existence and Omnipotence; in IN
s book of Acts we are SHOWN what "
e must do to enter Christ's service; il
the letters we are taught the law
% and rules Of church government aDt
: n REVELATIONS we ere supplied with Ia
, motive ard inspiration Of doing gCOt
4 the whole completing an entire sys' e.
4 Of salvation.
= In reading the Bible we should not 2
to that book fer what it proves
% but for what il teaches. In
! BaconIan theory taught men IN
"a method Of inductive reasOnin
IN instead OF the old style of theoretical spec
m ulstion. We should do as scientists 0
the present day, collect facts from tn
NJ field Of our research end induce deduC
!, tons from these facts and no
o as the old searchers used to &c
~ select q pet theory and then look 10
-. facts to CsrrV it ont and subStantiGta i
Preconcieyed theories warp the mind En-
prevent disCurslve research We elm
to such facts only as are agrl G
able TO our particular theor
,. and ignore others more p:
r tent because they differ frol
=. it. II we look thus to the Bible as t
- nature through the glass of ejndice W
- will find anything We want. Instead {
IL proving anything, we will be simply fat
= tering our own vanity.
., We cannot clain that all sentence
n in the Bible are literally true
'e Many CT them ere quotations an
le many others addressed to persons 0
III special classes, snd were not intended t
K be generally applicable. The speske
vi gave many forcibIe illustrations of thi
81 theory and Clearly showed that many VIII
appropriated to themselves passages sd
dressed to others, were not intelHgentl
versed IN the scriptures. The sermon wa
~ long but very instructive and eltertainip
- and produced good effect. At It's Coz
!" clusion two young ladies openly PFC
ne fessed faith and were received into tt
er church, The subject for tonight i
ut GLOW Am to Know That l Am Saved?
e. and those who can should hesr il. T.